Take advantage of your smart home to throw a swingin’ New Year’s bash that will have all your friends talking for the next 365 days. While your smart home can’t pour the drinks – yet – it can find your favorite cocktail recipe.

Here are some other ways that your smart home can help you plan and throw the best New Year’s eve party that’s both easy and fun.

Before the Party

The best thing about having a smart home assistant is that it allows you to multitask! Go through your contact list out loud and let them know to save the date – all while you’re hanging decorations or stirring up your famous punch. Google Home and Alexa both allow you to make hands-free phone calls to virtually any landline or mobile number, and Alexa even has a feature that will send short text messages.

When you’re finished with the guest list, order supplies for the party, look up recipes, find out what the weather will be like, and plan ahead with your smart home assistant. Just say the command and all the drinks and snacks will arrive at your door without you having to lift a finger.

During the Party

Credit: flickr/ Sho Hashimoto.

If you like to party, you probably already know that your Philips Hue smart lights are customizable in more ways than you can count. Set the mood lighting to your preferred brightness and color, or sync the lights up with your music – or even your doorbell. Have your guests shout a greeting when someone new arrives! 

Streaming music is also easy, whether via your Chromecast or one of the myriad streaming music services supported by your smart home system, like Spotify. 

Just plug your Chromecast into your TV HDMI port and stream videos and shows on your iPad or phone. Credit: Expert Reviews.

Don’t wait until the party’s over to share memories – ‘cast photos to your television in real time via Chromecast and let your guests see how much fun they’re having! 

Take your party to the next level with Chromecast and Google Home. Credit: Cord Cutters Gadget Hacks.

Thanks to a brand new feature from Google Home, you can now Broadcast messages over all your home’s smart speakers. Just say “Hey Google, Broadcast ‘Who wants pizza?’” and your assistant will ask over the speaker system. This is also a great way of paging someone who has left their car lights on or needs to move their car.

Forget drawing straws to see who has to be the bouncer – this year you can relax and let August Smart Lock do all the work for you. Send a code to select guests for one-time access to your front door, and they’ll be able to enter using just their smartphone. Anyone who doesn’t have a personal code will just have to try their luck at the door!

August smart lock connects effortlessly to your Google Home. Credit: CNET

After the Party

Hey, you know how to party! But make sure that everyone gets home safely by ordering taxis for anyone who has had too much to drink. Instead of fumbling around looking for a number, simply order a taxi via your smart home assistant.

For any taxi drivers who are unfamiliar with the area, get them directions so they can find your home easily. This also helps for guests who don’t live nearby.

Making coffee at your leisure is easy with smart plugs like the Wemo. Credit: MakeUseOf.

And, most importantly, have a warm cup of brew ready by pre-setting your smart plug to turn your coffee machine on in the morning, so you can wake up to the smell of fresh brewed coffee to help you start your year on the right foot. Then, ask your smart home assistant to help you find a cleaning service and make a New Year’s resolution to avoid the confetti next year!